Reversible fulcrum arrangement



Cfr

Nov. l?,

-VILLIAM C. HEDGCOCK, 0l? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN STEELEOUNDRIES, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINGIS, A CORPORATO'N F NEX/V JERSEY.

REVERSILE FULCRUIVI A12/RANGEMENT.

Application filed August 13, 1921.

To @ZZ 'Lo/rom, t 12mg/ concern.'

Be :it `known that l, llVILLiAM C. Hunccocn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool?. and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements inReversible Fulcrum Arrangements, of which the `following is aspeciiication.

This invention relates to brake beams and more particularly toreversible fulcrums forming a part thereof.

@ne object of the invention is to provide a simple and el'licientreversible -fulcrui'n for brake beams which. is adapted to meet thevarious requirements of a` fulcrum which may be used right-hand andleft-hand and at thesame time prevent the existence of lost motion andproperly perform function as a strut of the brake beam truss.

rlhis and other objects are` accomplished by means of the arrangementdisclosed on the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is afragmentary top plan view of a brake beam embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a `side elevation of the fulcrum body, with the tension andcompression members in section; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken in the plane of line 3 3 of Figure 2.

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing de.- scription and drawings and will be particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures of the drawings it will be noted that I havedisclosed my invention in connection with a truss type of brake beamincluding a compression member 10, a tension member 11 and a fulcrum 12entending between the tension and compression members. The main bodyportion 1S of the tt'ulcrum includes two spaced arms 1a between which abrak lever, not siown, may

be pivotally mounted. rlhe 'lilcrum body here illustrated is integraland forms a closed rectangular member, the rear end of the fulerum bodyhaving an integrally formed projection 15 provided with a head 16 whichis formed after the projection is extended through an opening 17 in aclamping member 18. The clamping member is secured to the web 19 of thecompression member 10 in any suitable manner, such as by rivets 20. lTheclamping member 18 is provided with an odset portion 21 intermediate itsends,

Serial No. 492,031.

the extent of the offset being slightly less than the thickness of thehead 16 so that when the clamping member is secured to the compressionmember the head 16 is yieldably held between the clamping member 18 andthe web 19 of the compression member. .ificcordingly, lost motionlongitudinally of the fulcrum body is prevented and the reversiblefulcrum body is yieldably held in adjusted position. This holding effectis sufliciently great to prevent the reversible fulcrum body from beingaccidentally moved from one position to another, but is not too great tomake it diliicult to change the angular position of the fulcrum bracket13. The rear portion of the fulcrum body is provided with angular faces,as shown at 22, for engaging the upper and lower flanges 23 and 24 ofthe compression member for limiting the fulcrum body 13 in itsreversible movements.

Fivotally connected to the front end of the fulcrum body by a rivet 25is a tension rod saddle 26;

lt is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention fallingwithin the spirit and scope of the following claims.

l claim:

1. ln a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum body having an integrally formed projection, and aclamping member secured to said compression member and clamping aportion of said projection between said compression member and clampingmember Jor preventing lost motion longitudinally of the fulcrum body.

2. In a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum body having an integrally formed projection with ahead thereon, and a clamping member secured to said compression memberand clamping the head portion of said projection between saidcompression member and clamping member for preventinglost motionlongitudinally of the fulcrum body.

3. ln a brake beam, the combination of a compression member, areversible fulcrum body having an integrally formed projection with ahead formed at one end thereof, and a clamping bracket having an openingthrough which said projection extends, said clamping member holding saidhead between the compression member and clamping member for preventinglost motion longitudinally of the fulcrum body.

ing lost motion` longitudinally of said iulci'uin body and means, forlimiting reversible movement-s of said ulcrum body.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 9th day of August, 1921.

WILLIAM C. HEDGCOCK.

